The Bicycle Diaries

Velib bicycles in Paris, France

This three - part series illustrates how the bicycle is used today and what impact it has on people's lives.

With more than a billion models worldwide, the bicycle has found a place in every society.

Since its invention in 1817 people have redesigned and used the bike for hundreds of different purposes.

From sporting events and policing the streets to sharpening knives and selling ice cream.

Using a lot of leg power, the Bicycle Diaries journeys into three different places around the world to discover the communities and people for whom two wheels are better than four.

Programme one:

In Paris, France a new bicycle transit system called the Velib has been installed.

Twenty thousand bikes have been made available and can be used free of charge for up to half an hour per ride.

They allow Parisians and tourists alike to get from A to B at their own pace, and to rediscover the beauty of the city at the same time.

The montage of voices in the programme include the Velib's designer and Parisian residents.

They talk about the bicycle's design features, how they use the system, the journeys they take, and how has the Velib has changed the city.

First broadcast Friday 16 January 2009